1. Background--Field of Invention
The present invention relates to battery adapters and, specifically, to adapters allowing physically smaller batteries to fit in an application where a larger physical sized battery would normally be needed.
2. Background--Discussion of Prior Art
Heretofore, prior art reveals several different approaches to the design of these adapters, many of which are complicated and difficult to manufacture. Some are simple designs which appear to have weaknesses in electrical contact arrangement and in the method of forming the support member for the dry cell. Other prior art addresses the AA to D adapter, but not specifically the AA to C adapter. Those who do address the AA to C combination generally have not provided for proper electrical contact with the coil spring in some applications. They rely on the smaller diameter of the negative contact on the AA battery to form the sole contact in place of the larger contact that a C cell normally has. One prior art D size adapter design has a slotted electrical contact which could be penetrated by the negative spring terminal used in some battery compartments and thereby impale the adapter on the spring. Another design relates to rechargable non-standard size batteries. And yet another utilizes a fully encapsulating adapter which requires multiple pieces to form the battery chamber.
Our novel invention overcomes the previous disadvantages of prior art, by simplifying the design of the adapter and the electrical contacts. Each of our adapters, both AA to C and C to D versions, are constructed of only two pieces. A supporting one piece molded shell and a single electrical contact. Our invention also addresses the use of AA batteries, either rechargable or non-rechargable, for use in C applications, and the use of C size batteries, either rechargable or non-rechargable, for use in D applications. Additionally, the use of both adapters in combination, will permit AA size rechargable and non-rechargable batteries to be used in any D application. The electrical contact area of our C size adapter is comparable to that of a C size battery, thus assuring proper electrical connection with a coil spring terminal when required. The solid negative electrical contact plate of our D adapter design will not impale the adapter on any coil spring terminal because the spring cannot penetrate the electrical contactor.